While Arsenal may have had a hard enough time trying to persuade United to sell a top youngster to one of their rivals anyway, Mundo Deportivo now claim Barca are stepping up their interest.

The club’s sporting director Fernandez was in attendance as Martial featured in United’s 1-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League last night, in what has been a busy week for Barcelona’s main transfer guru.

Mundo Deportivo also cite previous reports that Fernandez had been at the Bernabeu to watch Tottenham players in action against Real Madrid on Tuesday night, and it seems Martial is the latest to come up on their radar.

Could Anthony Martial be available?

Despite a blistering start to life at Old Trafford in 2015/16, the 21-year-old is no longer a regular starter for the Red Devils, and that could be the reason his future is being questioned at the moment.

Martial certainly has the raw talent to make an impact at a club like Arsenal or Barcelona, or indeed United, but Fernandez won’t have seen a great deal of him last night as he played only the final fifteen minutes off the bench.

Barcelona lost star attacker Neymar during the summer and could do with more options in their front three after a slow start to the season from Luis Suarez and an injury to Ousmane Dembele.